Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SYRACUSE — The Wawasee School Board met Monday for its second work session to present the 2025–26 tentative teacher collective bargaining agreement and hold its monthly work session.
Superintendent Dr. Steve Troyer outlined key provisions of the proposed contract, which will go before the board for ratification Nov. 11.
“We’re required by statute to raise our starting teacher salary to $45,000,” Troyer said. “Anybody below that amount will move up, and most others will see about a $1,650 increase.” He said the district was able to afford raises this year due to “a healthy enrollment count and an increase in the state funding formula.”
The new agreement also provides a $200 permanent salary bump for teachers who earn a literacy endorsement, in line with new state requirements, and a $350 stipend for those at the top of the salary scale. Health insurance premiums will increase 3%, the first rise in several years.
“Other districts are seeing much steeper increases,” Troyer said. “We’ve been fortunate to maintain stability.”
A new retirement incentive will allow retiring employees to remain on district insurance for one-year family plans or up to three years for single coverage at no cost. Troyer said the incentive will be funded through the district’s self-insurance balance rather than its education or rainy-day funds.
“It’s a great way to reward long-serving teachers without straining our operating budgets,” he said.
Board President Don Bokhart commended the work of both the district and the Wawasee Community Educators Association.
Troyer and Director of Finance Dr. Brandon Penrod reviewed the annual education to operations fund transfer resolution, which allows the district to move money between state- and locally-funded accounts.
Troyer explained the board previously authorized transfers up to 15% of state tuition support, but has chosen to keep that number lower in recent years.
“We’re recommending authorization for up to $250,000,” he said, noting the district transferred the same amount in 2025.
Board member Andy Cripe voiced support for a conservative approach.
“We’ve got a decent cash balance,” he said. “One year of being really tight is OK, but we can always adjust next session if needed.”
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Shelly Wilfong reported on a recent Indiana Department of Education audit of federal grant programs.
“They told us our processes are not just compliant, but exemplary,” she said. “They saw that our use of federal dollars truly drives what we do for teaching and learning.”
Wilfong also presented districtwide PSAT results showing gradual gains in both reading and math. “Our 10th-graders’ scores are trending upward and narrowing the gap with state and national averages,” she said. “It’s encouraging evidence that our literacy and math initiatives are working.”
Wawasee Early Learning Center Coordinator Trisha Trimble gave a report on the program’s growth and challenges.
“What began as a small effort during a childcare desert has become something truly impactful,” Trimble said. The center now serves 78 children, including 15 from district staff families.
She noted, however, funding pressures remain.
“We offer some of the lowest childcare rates in Kosciusko County,” she said. “Raising rates would hurt families, but reductions in state voucher programs are making it harder to cover costs.”
Troyer praised Trimble’s leadership and reaffirmed the district’s commitment to exploring sustainable funding options.
“The Early Learning Center is an investment in Wawasee’s future,” he said.
Director of Operations Wade Wirebaugh presented a proposal for a new multi-year contract with Automated Logic, the company responsible for the district’s building automation and climate control systems.
Wirebaugh said the extended agreement would help the district maintain its heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems more efficiently and cost-effectively. Troyer said the plan would come before the board for formal consideration at its Nov. 11 meeting.
Wilfong also outlined a new Support Plan for the Department of Special Services, describing it as part of the district’s effort to strengthen services for students with individualized needs. The district is currently still looking for a special education director, who Wilfong emphasize should be experienced if they are to take on the role midyear.
The board will meet again Nov. 11 at 801 S. Sycamore St., Syracuse, for its regular monthly session.
